Special Report

Soil health boosts public perception

The National Corn Growers Association says collaboration among industry partners is giving momentum to soil health improvement.

Soil health is getting more attention. There’s evidence by the number of people who attended the Soil Health Summit. Producers are giving cover crops a try now that there’s data suggesting they don’t create a yield drag, but they do increase organic matter while holding moisture and nutrients. The efforts of the Soil Health Partnership have elevated the public perception of farming, according to Nathan Fields with the National Corn Growers Association.

“Soil health is something that’s relatable to the public,” Fields told Brownfield Ag News at the Soil Health Summit in St. Louis Wednesday. “Conservation, buffer strips and all of that stuff, the general public doesn’t care about that, but they understand two very, very simple words: soil and health, and we have rallied around that and it’s been a fantastic opportunity.”